The Hobbits' Masquerade
by Posher10
Summary: The hobbits are a warlike people, similar to the dwarves. They use a naïve guise as their first and best defense. Bilbo Baggins is king, Lord of the Shire and the Brandywine. And when the dwarves happen to be there during an orc raid, they see a side of the hobbits and, more importantly, their king, that no outsider has seen before. I do not own the cover. Companion to TFC.


Disclaimer: I wish I owned the Hobbit. That would be awesome, but I don't. It belongs to Tolkien.

 _Thorin,_ Bilbo had noticed, _had a particular effect on the dwarves._ For one, they were respectful. Even Balin, who seemed to have more tack and manners then the rest of them put together, had acted nothing like the noble white-bearded dwarf he was now.

For another, they were utterly silent. If Fili had dropped his pipe, it would have made a resounding, echoing clang throughout the room.

That is until the front door opened with a bang and Medard ran into the room, dropping to one knee in front of Bilbo.

"My king, the orcs are here!" The hobbit cursed under his breath.

"Medard, spread the word." Bilbo commanded, " _The Green Lady walks beside you_." He added the code in a low whisper, making sure that the dwarves could not hear. The younger hobbit's face drained of blood, but then he nodded and sprinted out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

The hobbit ignored the stares of his guests and strode to his chest, where he removed a sword, a bow, and a quiver. He clipped the sword around a belt and slung the quiver over his shoulder.

"They must have come through the east unless they took the path by the Northern hills; I knew I should have put a guardsman there…" He muttered to himself.

"What did you say?" Balin asked, in just the right tone to say that he wasn't intruding on something that he wasn't involved in, but also with enough fierceness that he was expecting an answer.

"I was debating where they came from." He answered, not quiet but not loud, steel in his eyes that had not been there before.

"You can't be thinking about going, are you?" Fili asked in horror and Bilbo turned to him.

"Try and stop me."

"You'll be killed!" Kili broke in and the hobbit laughed, cold and calculating. The dwarves stared at him. What in Arda was going on?!

"You didn't really believe our façade, did you?"

"What façade?" Balin countered, answering Bilbo's question with his own.

"You didn't really believe that we the innocent folk we pretended to be?" No answer. "You have got to be kidding me…"

"Why would you even pretend that?" Kili asked, "What was the point?"

"Don't you see? If we are innocent folk and someone conquers or attacks us, other will be enraged at the ruining of our nativity and come to aid. But, if we reveal ourselves, we are simply another kingdom. No one would care." Seeing their stares, he added, "It sounds ridiculous, but it works. It's our first and best defense." Bilbo began walking to the door, but it was Dwalin who stopped him.

"Still, you're going? If what you say is true, then I doubt you even know how to fight." The hobbit's eyes blazed.

"You really think that orcs would care about that?! I've seen more than two dozen raids in my lifetime!"

"And, they were probably no more than skirmishes." Bilbo's upper lip curled up.

"Skirmishes?! Tell that to those who died in the Massacre of the Eastern Paths! Even the children lay headless in the ashes of their homes!" He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, "It was during my mother's reign and I was young, at the time. It took my father and I years to convince her that it wasn't her fault. We had no way to know that they would shatter through the tougher western defenses instead of going for the weak eastern border. I lost two cousins, a brother, and a sister in that attack. I'm only alive today but I wasn't allowed to visit my Uncle Vedast that week. I was angry; I had no idea that it would save my life."

"Your mother's reign?" Balin asked, focusing in on the smallest detail, and Bilbo gave a wry grin.

"Didn't you realize when Medard ran in?" He gave a deep bow. "King Bilbo Baggins, Third of his Name, Lord of the Shire and the Brandywine, Son of Queen Belladonna and King Brungo, at your service." With that, he tried a third time to leave, but it was Thorin who stood in his path.

"What do you think you're doing?" The hobbit asked.

"You are not going." The dwarf replied, steadfast.

"What do you mean, 'I'm not going'?! These are my people! And you, Thorin King, might be Lord of Erebor and the Blue Hills, but you are in my domain! You have entered _my_ lands; you have come to _my_ house; you have eaten _my_ food! I am king here and may the Green Lady claim my soul if I am not allowed to leave my own home!" Thorin didn't move, not until Balin placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We will help you. Whether or not you sign that contract, you have trusted us with your most closely guarded secret. If that doesn't make us allies, I don't know what does." The old dwarf dropped to one knee and slowly, one by one, the dwarves all slid down to a bow, until Thorin was the last one standing, though Balin was tugging on his sleeve.

"You may rise." The dwarves stood, and the dwarf king crossed his arms, "And I thank you for your help. We need a way to get the children to a safe place." The hobbit lord said, jumping straight into the problem.

"Don't you mean the women and the children?" Balin interrupted and Bilbo smiled.

"You know nothing of our culture, do you? The women will fight beside us. The _emban_ will go with the children, yes, but not all the women."

"The _emban_?" Ori asked, notebook in hand. _He had been taking notes._ Bilbo thought with a grin.

"Our women are divided into two groups; the _emban_ and the warriors. They both can have children, but the warrior's main focus is protecting us, while the _emban_ watch them. Every child has both an _emban_ and a mother. Sometimes they are the same. Sometimes they are different. The _emban_ watches a child they are assigned when the parents cannot; they become the child's guardian if they are orphaned. A woman chooses whether to be an _emban_ or a warrior when they come or age. Before that, all children are taught basic fighting, but the _emban_ embarked a different path, one we shall honor." Ori scribbled furiously.

"I believe that they would be safest in Mirabella Bracegirdle's home. It has a large cellar, as well as many windowless rooms." Bilbo said and the dwarves nodded.

"Dwarves of Erebor, of the Blue Mountains, of the days of smoke and fire and Smaug." The hobbit king began, standing tall, "Today we are made shield-brothers. Today, we fight for the freedom of my people." Bilbo raised his sword and gave a shout, " _Untuk Negara!"_ He shouted. Dwalin and the Sons of Dis were the first to repeat it, but the others joined in, shouting the battle cry.

And, with that, the Dwarves, the Dwarf King, and the Hobbit King charged out the door and into a new future.

Author's Note:

Tell me what you think, please!


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